Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-06-01

in the Colonial aud State Conventions OF
the old Dominion.
To tie Editor Of the R,gi3c1
POINT PLEASANT, w. VA, May 3d.
No subject connected with the records of
trans Allegheny history can prove Of
greater interest than that which relates to
the men who by their counsel and delibcr-
atiOns securely laid the foundation and
reared thereon the perfect and enduring
Commonwealth. Amid the mountains,
hills and wales of West Virginia, have
lived many of these men, and how little
do We know OF them. OF some their very
names have been forgotten, while that
which may he known of others lies hidden
away i'm wOrm-eaten records, covered with
the dust of hundred years. The great
Roman lyric poet tells MS that the heroes
who llourished before the days of Agamem-
non. passed into fOrgctlulneSs for want'Ol
a recording pen, and such may he said
truthfully Of some of those who in former
times represented the interests OF what is
now West Virginia in the Conventions OF
the old Dominion, which have from time
to time sat in her capital city. The first
in the list of these bodies is that OF the
memorable.
COLONIAL CONVENTION OF 100,
which convened at Richmond in March Of
that wear. Then came the storm of reNO-
luton, and from the everglades oi Florida
| to the iir-clad hills at Nova Scotia, n"
more ardent patriots were to he found than
the daring .irOntiersmcn Of Virginia west
of the mountains. No sooner did they
receive intelligence of the stirring scenes
i'm Massachusetts than many OF them re-
siding in that part OF Augusta county ~
inc west of the AllsgheuieS met III conven-
ton at PittSburg then believed to he
within the confines of Nirginia) and chose
Inhn Harvie and John Nevi!l to represent
them in the Virginia convention, soon to
convene That body met on the 2Oth oi
March and ON the day following, n letter
from. the inhabitants of that part OF Au-
,3,Sfa county which lies 10 the westward
Gf the Allegheny mountains, desiring that
Tobn Neyill and John Harvie, ESqS., may
be admitted TO this convention, being read
unop motion they were admitted to seats.
ON the 10th of May enSuing, another meet
in,, Was held ut PittSburg and - resolution
adoptcd expressing thanks to these gentle
men for ''the faithful discharge Oi the mn
portant trust TePOsed IN them, anu before
adjournment, John Harvie and George
Rodes. ESils., were appointed to represent
the neople of the abOve-named region IN
the Colonial Congress. Thus it appears
tbat Iobn Uaryie and John Neyill were
| Nh. first delegates from what is now West
VIRGINIA i'm a Virginia convention, ana
|, hot Iobn Harvie and George ROdeS were
tbs first representatives in an American
Congress. from the country west OF the Al
leghenies.
| TIE CONVENTION or lI~S,
,,b;.b ratified the Federal Constitution,
,,,, one of the most noted bodies ever con-
yened in Virginia. Among its members
~ Marshall, Madison, Mason, Henry,
| p,pdolnb Pendleton and 4 host OF Others
,yhose names shed luStre upon the delib'
eratiops of that august body which MS
,,a,ar been surpassed in the annals at the
commonwealth. ~,
renresented. Six counties were then cheeS
cred upon the map OF Nirglnia's western
domain and their representation m ina
Convention were ~ follows: From Berke
Low comfy, William Darke and Adam
Sfsnbeus. from Greenbrier, George Glen
ldsnpin and John Stuart; from Hampshire
In5rsyv Woodrow and Ralph Humphreys
en- Hardy. Isaac YanAIatre and Abe
Sa,,,,,onr. from Harrison, George Jackson
- Lnbn Prunty; from MOnOnsalia, JOIN
E,,ons and William McClerTy; from ONO
Irob,baId Woods and EbcnCzer Zane.
WHY his the memory of those twely
r,o,, 6aen allowed almost to pass into oh
i;,,;org What an interesting volume wouit
the record of their lives he. what val
lnoble contribution 1t would he 10 IN
literature OF the State. One oil them WA
the founder of MartmSburg: George Glen
lon SIN WAS the founder oil Charleston
TIN Stnart was the first permanent whit
I'll, in the Greenhrisr Valley; and Eb
'uszer Zane WAS the founder of Wheeling
tbs defender of Fort Henry, and the build
ar of the National Road from Wheeling Il
Lime Stone, Kentucky.
THE CONVENTION OF 1890.
In the year 1776 Virginia framed an'
odnDeJ a Constitution by which she wa
aoSe,pcd for more than fly years. 1t wa
r. (irst instrument Of the kind prepare,
BY an American State, and was frames
without precedent on either side OF tn
Atlantic. IL was therefore but natura
that in IL should be found many impertec
lions First among these were its tw
distinctive features-sectionalism and al
is,ocracy-both OF which had their origin
century before the framing OF that COnsti